Type : Concert

The Fuzztones have certainly achieved legendary status as cult faves during their 36 year career. Their fiery brand of Garage-Psych Punk pre-dated the entire “Garage Revival” of the 1980s and has influenced hundreds of groups, from The Hives to The Horrors. Born in the summer of 1980 in the bowels of NYC’s Lower East Side, The Fuzztones were soon regulars at legendary NYC hotspots such as CBGB, and the Mudd Club. By utilizing the fuzzbox (an antiquated effects pedal used by many 60’s groups to achieve overly distorted “psychedelic” guitar sounds), the band created a raunchy sound they referred to as “Grunge”…(On their 1984 debut single, “Bad News Travels Fast”, lead guitarist Elan Portnoy is credited as playing “lead grunge”, at least a decade before the Seattle Grunge Invasion), and the band was nicknamed “The Gurus of Garage Grunge.” Complete with paisley and leather attire, genuine human bone necklaces, The Fuzztones influenced the fashions of musicians as diverse as the Hoodoo Gurus (who also modified the Fuzztones infamous skull and crossed Vox Phantom guitars logo for use on one of their album covers) to Ian Astbury and Marc Almond (who aped The Fuzztones by wearing black turtlenecks with bone necklaces) to the Dwarves, whose X-rated logo was stolen from the Fuzztones “Lysergic Ejaculations” cover. Mudhoney member Mark Arm has cited frontman Rudi Protrudi as a main influence. German superstars Die Artze even sport Fuzztones t-shirts in their promo photos, as do platinum-selling Finnish rockers, 69 Eyes. The band’s classic video for “Ward 81” even inspired the legendary Ramones, whose “Psychotherapy” video copies several scenes directly from the Fuzztones’ masterpiece, as did the glitter-rock docu-film “Velvet Goldmine”!

The band’s first European tour in 1985, a 3 month onslaught of England, Wales, Scotland, Germany and Italy, firmly established the band with a dedicated, and avid following that continues to this day! Their 1985 debut studio LP, “Lysergic Emanations” has achieved major cult status, and has been released by 5 different labels over the last 16 years, and is currently enjoying it’s sixth resurgence on Germany’s Houndgawd label.

The Fuzztones have toured Europe fervently since 1985, and have headlined major venues in Italy, Spain, Greece, France, Norway, Sweden, Belgium, Wales, Scotland, Austria, Germany, Czech Republic, Portugal, Denmark and Finland, as well as Canada, Israel, Prague, Serbia, Croatia and Mexico. They have appeared on over 80 vinyl and CD releases, including at least 15 albums, countless singles, and compilations, not to mention 5 videos, several television and radio appearances, and countless major press articles (NME, Sounds, Melody Maker, Rockerilla, Hit Parade, US,and more) and were the only band involved in the ’80s “Garage Revival” to obtain a major label record deal (RCA).

This year England’s Easy Action label released “Psychomania,” a 7 cd/1 dvd boxset and will release the entire Fuzztones back catalogue on vinyl before the end of 2016. Meanwhile, Germany’s FanPro Publishing will be releasing Fuzztones frontman, Rudi Protrudi’s autobiography, “The Fuzztone,” scheduled to hit the stands at the end of June 2016.

More than any other band, it’s The Fuzztones who are responsible for initiating the Garage Movement that began in the ’80s and continues to this day. IN FUZZ WE TRUST!

The Godfathers

Legendary British rock & roll group The Godfathers kick-start 2017 with one almighty bang via a career best, new studio album – ‘A Big Bad Beautiful Noise’ out on worldwide release from 10th February 2017. The album is preceded by the single ‘You Don’t Love Me’ released 3rd February 2017 and promoted with worldwide tours, festivals and concert dates.

‘A Big Bad Beautiful Noise’ represents an exciting new chapter for the London band, but The Godfathers have had a long & illustrious career. They were formed in 1985 by brothers Peter Coyne (vocals) & Chris Coyne (bass/vocals) from the ashes of their previous band The Sid Presley Experience. The Godfathers toured extensively & quickly earned a serious reputation for their electrifying brand of primal rock & roll & their incendiary live shows around the world.

Forming a recording partnership with famed producer Vic Maile they released 4 critically acclaimed, smash hit independent singles on their own Corporate Image label (‘Lonely Man’, ‘This Damn Nation’, ‘I Want Everything’ & ‘Love Is Dead’) which alongside a brutal cover of Lennon’s ‘Cold Turkey’ were compiled into their seminal debut album release ‘Hit By Hit’ in ’86 & signed a worldwide deal with Sony/Epic records in ‘87.

The Godfathers unleashed the storming rocker ‘Birth School Work Death’ as a single in ’87 & scored a US Billboard top 40 hit after massive college radio airplay & heavy MTV rotation. Then the classic ‘Birth School Work Death’ album was released in ’88 (includes the ‘hit’ anthem title track, & singles ‘Cause I Said So’ & a re-recorded ‘Love Is Dead’) & was promoted with extensive tours of the UK, Europe & America as they cemented their reputation as one of the best live acts of the period. Celebrity fans included among others David Bowie & Johnny Depp. Their mob inspired image, raw lyrics & guitar-driven, edgy rock & roll sound was in direct contrast to the clean, synthesized Pop that mainly dominated the mainstream charts at that time & foreshadowed the Brit-Pop/Rock resurgence of the early 1990’s.

1989’s album ‘More Songs About Love And Hate’ (featuring the American college radio smash single ‘She Gives Me Love’ and live favourite ‘Walking Talking Johnny Cash Blues’) was followed by the death of producer Vic Maile & the departure of guitarist Kris Dollimore, who was replaced on guitar by Chris Burrows for ‘Unreal World’ (which included the American radio hit ‘Unreal World’ & a searing cover of The Creation’s psychedelic classic ‘How Does It Feel To Feel’) in 1991.

The provocatively titled live Godfathers’ album ‘Dope, Rock & Roll & Fucking In The Streets’ was issued in 1992 on Corporate Image & the band toured the globe constantly. With a new line-up The Godfathers released 2 further albums on Intercord Records, a self-titled album in ‘93 (AKA ‘The Orange’ album because of it’s distinctive cover art) & ‘Afterlife’ in ’95, before the group finally imploded in 2001.

In 2008 The Godfathers reformed their original line-up to promote a vastly expanded 2CD version of their seminal debut album ‘Hit By Hit’ & performed a select number of British, European & American dates & festivals together for the first time in nearly 20 years. These included the highly successful revival of their traditional Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre concerts with knockout, triumphant performances at The Forum in London in February ’08 & Chicago’s Metro in February ’09.

The Godfathers have become increasingly influential in recent years with Top 5 American artists Local H & Spoon releasing cover versions of Godfathers’ classics “Birth School Work Death’ & ‘This Damn Nation’ & Mars Volta citing The Godfathers’ primal rock & roll sound as a direct influence on their ‘Noctourniquet’ album.

‘The Godfathers – Shot Live At The 100 Club’ a Live DVD/CD was released November 1st 2010 to mark the 25th anniversary of the bands formation & ‘Jukebox Fury’ The Godfathers’ first new studio album in 18 years was released worldwide in March 2013 to critical acclaim & rave reviews.

With the 2017 release of their new album ‘A Big Bad Beautiful Noise’ The Godfathers have taken a huge, sonic step forward. Look out world – ‘A Big Bad Beautiful Noise’ is coming!!

‘A Big Bad Beautiful Noise’ is available from February 10th 2017 on the band’s own Godfathers Recordings2 label via Cargo Records in the UK & Europe & Metropolis Records in the USA, Canada & South America.